Machine



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet l.

L. o. GROWLL.

FOLDING MACHINE.

No. 277,549. Patented Mayl, 1883.

N. PETERS. Phnwmhagmphnr, Washingmn D c.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

L. C. GROWELL.

FOLDING MACHINE.

Patented May 15 N, PETERS. Phnlo-Lnhu'nphar. vlamingen. D.,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.'

` LUTHER G. OROWELL, OF BROOKLYN, ASSIGNOR TO It. HOE St OO., OF

NEW YORK, N. Y.

FOLDING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 277,549, dated May 15,1883. Application filed December lQ9, 1882. (No model.)

T o all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LUTHER O. OROWELL, a citizen of the United States,residing in the city ot' Brooklyn, county ofl Kings, and State of NewYork, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in FoldingMachines, i'ully described and represented in the followingspecification and the accompanying' drawings, forming a part of' thesame.

This invention relates to that class ot' i'olding-machines which areadapted to operate upon sheets of paper to f'old themlongitudinally-that is to say, upon a line parallel to the direction oi'travel through the machineand to that particular class ot' thesemachines in which the fold is made by a blade, which strikes the sheetupon the fold-line and forces it between turning-edges or into the biteof rolls or jaws, which complete the fold.

In the operation ot machines of' this class, as they have been usuallyconstructed heretofore, the forward motion of' the sheet was a1'- restedat the time of' making the fold, which was generally effected by causingit to strike against fixed stops. This stopping of cach sheetnecessarily reduced the speed at which the machine could he made tooperate, and the striking ot' the moving sheet against fixed stopssometimes caused it to buckle, so that the product was wrinkled andimperfect, or the machine became clogged and inoperative. Anotherdisadvantage attending the use of these machines was due to the factthat the sheets could not be fed to the folding-blade in closeysuccession, it being necessary to separate, the sheets in the line offeed by spaces equal to at least one-half of the width ofthe sheet inorder to prevent the incoming sheet from fouling with the sheet justfolded. This made it impossible for these machines to o perate upon thesheets as they issued from an ordinary web printing and severingmechanism, u nless such sheets were passed through an a'cceleratingmechanism, or were first folded transversely, and even in this lattercase it was impossible unless the sheets were very narrowin proportionto theirlength. In United States Letters Patent N 0.259,978I have shownand described a mechanism in which these disadvantages are overcome by"placing the rolls intol the bite of which the sheets are folded in aninclined position and causing the folding-,blade to move longitudinallywhile in contact with the sheet, so that the forward movement ot' thesheet is not arrested while the fold is heilig' made.

The mechanism constituting the present invention possesses the samegeneral characteristics as that shown in saidY patent, and is designedi'or the accomplishment of' the same ohject. In the presentcase,however, the sheet, instead ot' beiugiolded into the bit`e oi" rolls, istucked upon the fold-lineinto the bite of'apair ofjaws, which are causedto advance with the sheet, so that its forward motion is not arrestedwhile the ltold is heilig' made.

he present invention also includes a mechanism for making a second andthird i'old in the sheets.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a plan view oi' a mechanismembodying the invention,the devices forpresenting the sheet to thefolding-blade being' removed and the first pair of'folding-rollsbeingshown iucrosssection for the sake of clearness of illustration.Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section Aof the same, taken upon theline x of' Fig. l. Fig.' 3 is an end elevation of the same, and Figs. 4,5, and (i are views of details to be l hereinafter referred to.

The first folding-blade, 3, maybe of' either ot' the constructions shownin my former Letters -Patent hereinbef'ore referred to, so as to moveforward with the sheet while pressing it downward; but in the presentcase it is shown as a simple vibrating blade secured to a rock-shaft,

4, and operated through a rockarm, 5, the end 4of which is provided witha bowl, 6, which rests in the path ot' a cam, 7, secured to a shaft', S.-When a blade of' this character is used the sheets must of course beslightly separated from each otherin their line of travel in order topermit the blade to return to its raised position without striking theunder side ofthe incoming sheet.

The shaft and a similar shaft, 9, are supported in elongated hearings'l() Il in one 4of the'side frames oi" the machine, as shown in Fig. 1,and extend inward to a point nearly beneath the blade 3, where theyterminate in large plain disks 12 13, the outer ends of' said shaftsbeing provided with gears 1415, which connect with each other through anintermediate, 16, mounted upon a transverse shaft, 17, so that saidshafts and their disks revolve in the same direction.

IOO

Mounted in suitable bearings in the disks 12 13 are a pair of studs, 1819, the outer ends of which are connected by a bar, 20, to which ishinged a second bar, 21, the two bars thus forminga pair otjaws, intowhich', at the proper times, the blade 3 forces the fold-line of thesheet.

Referring to Figs. 5 and 6, it will be seen that the stud 18, which hasits bearing in the disk 12, is vprovided with an opening iu which restsa pin, 22, the outer end ot' which is pivotally attached to the jaw 21,while its inner end is provided with an'enlarged head, and is encircledby a spiral spring, 23.

Thedisk 13 is provided with an aperture, 24, in which are placed a pairof folding-rolls, 25 26, said rolls being geared to each other andjournaled in bearings formed iu projectionsv 27 upon the inner face otthe disk. The disk 13 is also provided with a bracket, 28, in which isjournaled one end of a pair of folding-rolls, 29 30, arrangedat rightangles to the rolls 25 26,-the opposite end of' said rolls beingjournaled in a bracket, 31, extending from the shaft 8. r1he roll 26, ata point near its middle, is cut away for ashort distance, and its shaftis at that point provided with a small bevel-gear, 32, which engageswith a like gear, 33, upon the shaft of roll 29. The rolls 29 39 aregeared together in the usual manner, andV receive motion through a gear,34, from the stationary gear 35, mountedupon the bearing 1l. The shaft 8is also provided with a rigid arm, 36, in the end ot'which is mounted arockshaft, 37, to which is secured an oscillating folding-blade, 38,which is so positioned as to co-operate with rolls 29 30. The movementot' the blade 38 is effected by means of a rockarm, 39, the end of whichis provided with a bowl,-46, resting in the path of a stationary cam,41, 'mounted upon the bearing 11, as

. shown in Fig. 4. The transverse shaft 17 is,

' parts by connecting either of the shafts 8,9, or

in addition to the gear 16, provided with a second gear, 42, whichengages with a gear, 43, mounted upon a stud, 44, secured in the frameofthe machine. The gear 43 is provided upon its inner tace withprojections 45,in which is journaled a short rock-shaft, 46, carrying anoscillating folding-blade, 47, said blade being so positioned as toco-operate with the rolls 25 26, and operated by Aa short rock-arm, 48,

secured to the shaft 46, and extending through an opening in the gear43, so that its end rests in the path of a stationary cam, 49, as shownin Fig. l.

Motion may be given to the various moving 17 with any convenient sourceof power.

The operation of the mechanism is as follows: The sheets, as they issuefrom any ordinary form ot'printing or severing mechanism, or from afolding mechanism which has previously operated upon them, or from thehands of an operative, are advanced by the tapes 1, or other suitablefeeding devices, along the smooth supporting-rods 2 to a positionbeneath the first folding-blade. The partsr areso timed with relation toeach other that as the sheets A arrive in proper position beneath theblade ythejaws 20 21 will arrive at the position indicated by the dottedlines in Fig. 2. 'While the parts are in this position theblade 3 willdescend and carry the fold-line of the sheet between thejaws, which willimmediately afterward be closed by the action of the cam 5() upon thepin 22, so as to grasp the sheet and carry it forward and downward.Thesheet thus held by its doubled portionbetween the jaws will be drawndownward between the rods 2, so as to be folded longitudinally, and willat the same time be carried forward by Jthe revolution of the disks 1213, so as to he kept out of the way of the succeeding sheet. `When theparts have arrived at the position shown in Figs.1,2,and 3 the stud 22will pass oi' the cam 50 and allow the jaws 20 21 to be operated by thespring 23, and at the same time the folding-blade 47 will strike thesheet upon the second .fold-line and double it into the bite of therolls 25 26. It will be observed that at this time the rotation ot' thedisks 12 13 is carrying the jaws 20 21 downward and the rolls 25 26upward, so that as soon-as the sheet is struck by the blade 47 itsfold-line will be withdrawn from between the jaws and left free to passbetween the rolls 25 26. As. the sheet emerges from between the rolls 2526 it will be struck upon its third fold-line by the .blade 38 anddoubled into the bite ofthe second pair ot' folding-rolls, 2 9 30, whichare so timed that when the disk 13 has made about three-fourths of arevolution from the position shown in Fig. 1 -the sheet will emerge frombetween them and be deposited upon carrying-tapes or a piling-table, 5l.The jaws 20 21 having in the meantime, when in their upper position,taken asecond sheet, the same op- 3. The combination, with blades, as 347, ot'- the rotating disks 12 13, carrying the jaws 20 2l, andfolding-rolls 25 26, substantially as described.

4. The combination, with blades, as 3 47, of the rotating disks 12 13,carrying jaws 29 2l, and rolls 25 26, rolls 29 30, and blade 38, all

arranged and operating substantially as de-v scribed.

In testimony whereofI have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

Witnesses:

Jas. A. Hover, T. H. PALMER.-

LUTIIER C. CROWELL.

Ico

